Girl in motorcycle tragedy unsupervised
A coroner reporting on the death of a Southland child has reiterated the fundamental need for adult supervision of youngsters on motorcycles.
Jessica Rose Robson, 11, died in the Starship children’s hospital on September 24, 2016 as a result of severe traumatic head injury.
On September 10, 2016, Jessica was riding a 50cc motorcycle at her friend’s family farm. She rode out of the gate and onto the road, where she collided with an oncoming car, and was thrown from the motorcycle.
She was taken to Southland Hospital and transferred to the Starship on September 11.
Coroner A J Tutton, in her report, says Jessica was at a friend’s farm and they had been taking turns riding the Honda 50cc (child size) motorcycle in a paddock. They were unsupervised, with the only adult on the property elsewhere on the farm performing tasks.
Jessica had ridden the bike two or three times previously and was sensible on the bike.
She was not wearing a helmet. The coroner’s report says Jessica was an inexperienced motorcycle rider, riding a motorcycle not recommended for use by anyone under 13 years old and she was not under adult supervision.
In his road crash report, Senior Constable Patterson says the speed and manner in which Jessica exited the paddock on to the road might suggest that she was not expecting any traffic.
Distraction was found to be a possible factor in the crash.
Patterson considered Jessica, as an 11-year-old child, was distracted from the need to beware of traffic because she was having fun riding the motorcycle.
It is likely her young age limited her recognition of the dangerous situation.
Patterson says Jessica may have been affected by sun strike and her view further obstructed by a farm house fence, two vehicles parked in the rural mailbox area, and her inability to see readily through a barbed wire fence given her height.
He concluded that no fault could be attributed to the driver of the car. Speed and the condition of the road were not considered contributing factors.
Coroner Tutton made no recommendations ‘‘given the existing, readily available guidance in relation to the use of motorbikes by children’’.
But she did say: ‘‘I reiterate the fundamental need for adult supervision at all times’’.